2016 SXSW Feature Films Lineup Announced – Several World Premieres of Note

2016 SXSW Feature Films Lineup Announced - Several World Premieres of Note

The 2016 SXSW Feature Film lineup has been announced today, with 139 features to be shown (additional titles forthcoming), including 89 World Premieres, 13 North American Premieres, and 8 U.S. Premieres, selected from over 2,450 feature-length submissions.

I will be scrubbing the entire list thoroughly to identify Diaspora titles (it’s a very long list), but, in the meantime, simply skimming it, immediately below, I’ve identified titles and names that I’m already familiar with that will be of specific interest to this blog. I will be going over the entire lineup very closely to uncover any titles that I missed here. I will also post individual profiles of all the films (some I’ve previously profiled on this blog).

– Documentary “Accidental Courtesy: Daryl Davis, Race & America” from director:Matt Ornstein: Daryl Davis has an unusual hobby. As a musician he has played with legends like Chuck Berry and Little Richard, but in his spare time he likes to meet and befriend members of the Ku Klux Klan. Join Daryl on his personal quest to understand racism. (World Premiere).

– “BLACK” (Belgium) from directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah: Mavela, 15, is a Black Bronx. She falls madly in love with Marwan, a charismatic member of a rival gang, the 1080s. The young couple is forced to make a brutal choice between gang loyalty and the love they have for one another. An impossible dilemma.Cast: Martha Canga Antonio, Aboubakr Bensaihi (U.S. Premiere).

– “Jean of the Joneses” (Photo at the top of this post) from Stella Meghie: Chaos ensues after the estranged patriarch of the Jones family dies on their doorstep. When the paramedic who answers their 911 call tries to win over acerbic Jean Jones, his attempts are disrupted by old conflicts that come to a boil at the funeral. Cast: Taylour Paige, Sherri Shepherd, Gloria Reuben, Michelle Hurst, Erica Ash, Mamoudou Athie, Francois Arnaud, Demore Barnes, Anna Hopkins (World Premiere).

– “The Alchemist Cookbook” from director Joel Potrykus: Self-made chemist Sean, a recluse living in an old trailer in the woods, suffers from pill-popping delusions of fortune. When his manic attempts at cracking the ancient secret of alchemy go awry he unleashes something far more sinister and dangerous. Cast: Ty Hickson, Amari Cheatom (World Premiere).

– “The Art of Organized Noize” from director: Quincy ‘QD3’ Jones: Organized Noize shaped the landscape of Hip Hop music with a distinct sound created in the confines of a dungeon. They’re responsible for the careers of Outkast, CeeLo, Goodie Mob and the Dungeon Family. This is the story of the Art of Organized. (World Premiere).

– “Miss Sharon Jones!” from director Barbara Kopple: Dreams never expire, but sometimes they are deferred. Miss Sharon Jones! tracks the talented and gregarious soul singer of the Grammy-nominated R&B band Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings during the most challenging year of her life.

Don Cheadle’s “Miles Ahead” is also scheduled to screen at the festival.

The full lineup follows below, via press release from SXSW.

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Ten world premieres; ten unique ways to celebrate the art of storytelling. Selected from 1,442 narrative feature submissions in 2016.

Hunter GathererDirector/Screenwriter: Josh LocyAfter a three-year stint in prison, an unreasonably optimistic middle-aged man returns to his stagnant neighborhood to win back his girlfriend only to find that she and his family have done what they always wanted to do — forget he exists. Cast: Andre Royo, George Sample III, Kellee Stewart, Ashley Wilkerson, Kevin Jackson, Antonio D. Charity, Celestial, Alexis DeLaRosa, Jeanetta Arnette (World Premiere)

Accidental Courtesy: Daryl Davis, Race & AmericaDirector: Matt OrnsteinDaryl Davis has an unusual hobby. As a musician he has played with legends like Chuck Berry and Little Richard, but in his spare time he likes to meet and befriend members of the Ku Klux Klan. Join Daryl on his personal quest to understand racism. (World Premiere)

Alive and KickingDirector/Screenwriter: Susan GlatzerAlive and Kicking gives the audience an intimate, insider’s view into the culture of the current swing dance world while shedding light on issues facing modern American society. (World Premiere)* SXsports screening

Best and Most Beautiful ThingsDirector: Garrett ZevgetisIn a celebration of outcasts everywhere, a precocious young blind woman disappears into quirky obsessions and isolation. With humor and bold curiosity, she chases love and freedom in the most unexpected of places: a provocative fringe community. (World Premiere)

Goodnight Brooklyn – The Story of Death By AudioDirector: Matthew ConboyDeath By Audio, an underground art and music venue, is forced to close in 2014. The film focuses on the struggles of maintaining a community in the face of Brooklyn property development, hostile construction workers and a one billion-dollar company. (World Premiere)

The LiberatorsDirector: Cassie HayA tiny Texas town. $350 million worth of medieval treasure. The discovery is just the beginning. (World Premiere)

Orange SunshineDirector/Screenwriter: William A. KirkleyThe never-before-told story of the Brotherhood of Eternal Love – a spiritual group of surfers and hippies in California who became the largest suppliers of LSD and Hash in the world during the 60s and 70s. (World Premiere)

The SeerDirector: Laura DunnThe Seer is a cinematic portrait of farmer and writer Wendell Berry. Through his eyes, we see both the changing landscapes of rural America in the era of industrial agriculture and the redemptive beauty in taking the unworn path. (World Premiere)* SouthBites screening

The Space in Between – Marina Abramovic and Brazil (Brazil)Director: Marco Del Fiol, Screenwriters: Marco Del Fiol, Marina Abramovic, Fabiana Werneck BarcinskiIn search of personal healing and artistic inspiration, Marina Abramovic travels through Brazil experiencing sacred rituals and exploring the limits between art and spirituality. How far will she go to create another work of art? (World Premiere)

TOWERDirector: Keith MaitlandAn animated and action-packed look at America’s first mass school shooting, when the worst in one man brought out the best in so many others. (World Premiere)

Big names, big talent: Headliners bring star power to SXSW, featuring red carpet premieres and gala film events with major and rising names in cinema.

Don’t Think TwiceDirector/Screenwriter: Mike BirbigliaAn improv group loses the lease on their home theater at the same time that one of their cast members gets chosen for the biggest sketch comedy show on TV. Cast: Keegan-Michael Key, Gillian Jacobs, Mike Birbiglia, Kate Micucci, Tami Sagher, Chris Gethard (World Premiere)

Everybody Wants SomeDirector/Screenwriter: Richard LinklaterIn Richard Linklater’s anticipated “spiritual sequel” to Dazed and Confused, a group of college friends navigate their way through the freedoms and responsibilities of the wild final weekend of the summer of 1980. Cast: Will Brittain, Zoey Deutch, Ryan Guzman, Tyler Hoechlin, Blake Jenner, J. Quinton Johnson, Glen Powell, Wyatt Russell (World Premiere)* SXsports screening

In A Valley of ViolenceDirector/Screenwriter: Ti WestFrom Blumhouse, the film tells the story of a drifter named Paul who arrives in a small town, seeking revenge on the thugs who murdered his friend. Sisters Mary Anne and Ellen who run the town’s hotel, help Paul in his quest for vengeance. Cast: Ethan Hawke, Taissa Farmiga, James Ransone, Karen Gillan, John Travolta (World Premiere)

Midnight SpecialDirector/Screenwriter: Jeff NicholsA father goes on the run to protect his young son and uncover the truth behind the boy’s special powers in writer/director Jeff Nichols’ sci-fi thriller Midnight Special, a film as supernatural as it is intimately human. Cast: Michael Shannon, Joel Edgerton, Kirsten Dunst, Adam Driver, Jaeden Lieberher, Sam Shepard (North American Premiere)

Tony Robbins: I Am Not Your GuruDirector: Joe BerlingerGranted unprecedented access, Tony Robbins: I Am Not Your Guru captures renowned life and business strategist Tony Robbins behind the scenes of his mega seminar Date with Destiny, pulling back the curtain on this life-altering and controversial event. (World Premiere)

High profile narrative features receiving their World, North American or U.S. premieres at SXSW.

BLACK (Belgium)Directors: Adil El Arbi, Bilall Fallah, Screenwriters: Nele Meirhaeghe, Adil El Arbi, Bilall Fallah, Hans HerbotsMavela, 15, is a Black Bronx. She falls madly in love with Marwan, a charismatic member of a rival gang, the 1080s. The young couple is forced to make a brutal choice between gang loyalty and the love they have for one another. An impossible dilemma.Cast: Martha Canga Antonio, Aboubakr Bensaihi (U.S. Premiere)

Jean of the Joneses (Canada/USA)Director/Screenwriter: Stella MeghieChaos ensues after the estranged patriarch of the Jones family dies on their doorstep. When the paramedic who answers their 911 call tries to win over acerbic Jean Jones, his attempts are disrupted by old conflicts that come to a boil at the funeral. Cast: Taylour Paige, Sherri Shepherd, Gloria Reuben, Michelle Hurst, Erica Ash, Mamoudou Athie, Francois Arnaud, Demore Barnes, Anna Hopkins (World Premiere)

War On Everyone (UK)Director/Screenwriter: John Michael McDonaghTwo corrupt cops in New Mexico set out to blackmail and frame every criminal unfortunate enough to cross their path in this volatile jet-black action comedy. Cast: Michael Peña, Alexander Skarsgård, Theo James, Tessa Thompson (North American Premiere)

Shining a light on new documentary features receiving their World, North American or U.S. premieres at SXSW.

Asperger’s Are UsDirector: Alex LehmannIn this coming of age documentary, four friends on the autism spectrum whom have bonded through humor and performed as the comedy troupe Asperger’s Are Us will prepare for one final, ambitious show before going their separate ways. (World Premiere)

The BanditDirector: Jesse MossThe Bandit is a film about 70s superstar Burt Reynolds, his best friend, roommate and stunt-double Hal Needham, and the making of their unlikely smash-hit Smokey & The Bandit. (World Premiere)

Beware the SlendermanDirector: Irene Taylor BrodskyBeware the Slenderman tells the story of a Boogeyman lurking on the internet and two 12-year-old girls who would kill for him. A horrifyingly modern tragedy, this film explores children’s accountability in the online age. (World Premiere)

Chicken PeopleDirector: Nicole Lucas HaimesIn a high stakes world where a single broken feather can mean a shattered dream, Chicken People follows the trials and tribulations of those who breed exotic birds in the world of competitive poultry. (World Premiere)* SXsports screening

Fantastic LiesDirector: Marina ZenovichTen years after the Duke Lacrosse case exploded into the national media, we revisit the case which divided America and explore how it affected the lives of those involved. (World Premiere)* SXsports screening

Hit it HardDirectors: Gabe Spitzer, David Terry FineHitting it hard is the only way John Daly knows. It’s how he plays golf. It’s how he lives life. After 25 years of extreme highs and devastating lows, this film explores why Daly has remained one of America’s most beloved athletes. (World Premiere)* SXsports screening

The Hollywood ShortiesDirector/Screenwriter: Ryan Steven GreenIn 1980s Los Angeles, a professional dwarf basketball team composed of recognizable-but-typecast actors finds itself the unwitting vanguard of a revolution to represent little people as something other than objects of curiosity. (World Premiere)* SXsports screening

The Incomparable Rose HartmanDirector: Otis MassWith a career spanning decades Photographer Rose Hartman is known for her iconic photos from Studio 54 and the fashion world, her boisterous personality and ever presence capturing the New York social scene. (World Premiere)* SXstyle screening

Insatiable: The Homaro Cantu StoryDirector: Brett A. SchwartzChef and inventor Homaro Cantu helped put Chicago on the culinary map and wanted to change the world. Insatiable takes you on a dizzying and thrilling ride with Cantu, in a story that moves from redemption and inspiration to tragedy and back again. (World Premiere)* SouthBites screening

Mr. Gaga (Israel)Director/Screenwriter: Tomer HeymannMr. Gaga tells the story of Ohad Naharin, renowned choreographer and artistic director of the Batsheva Dance Company, an artistic genius who redefined the language of modern dance. (North American Premiere)

Seven Songs for a Long Life (UK)Director: Amy HardieThe intimate story behind our changing relationship with death – with great songs! (North American Premiere)

Silicon CowboysDirector: Jason Cohen, Screenwriters: Steven Leckart, Jason CohenThree friends dream up a portable computer at a Texas diner in 1981, and soon battle IBM, the world’s most powerful tech company, for PC supremacy. Compaq Computer’s improbable journey altered the future of computing and shaped the world we now know. (World Premiere)

The Slippers (Canada)Director: Morgan White, Screenwriters: Derek Lageunesse, Morgan WhiteThe Slippers pulls back the Wizards curtain the unbelievable story of Dorothy’s Ruby Slippers from The Wizard of Oz, and their impact on popular culture, and the now multi-million dollar a year industry of Hollywood memorabilia collecting. (World Premiere)

Starving the Beast: The Battle to Disrupt and Reform America’s Public UniversitiesDirector/Screenwriter: Steve MimsThe story of money, power and politics and the well organized, yet little noticed, efforts to radically disrupt and reform America’s public universities. (World Premiere)

Thank You Del: The Story of the Del Close MarathonDirector: Todd BieberFifteen years after Del Close’s death, thousands of comedians (both famous and unknown) gather to celebrate modern comedy’s most important person that no one knows. (World Premiere)

Visions filmmakers are audacious, risk-taking artists in the new cinema landscape who demonstrate raw innovation and creativity in documentary and narrative filmmaking.

The Alchemist CookbookDirector: Joel PotrykusSelf-made chemist Sean, a recluse living in an old trailer in the woods, suffers from pill-popping delusions of fortune. When his manic attempts at cracking the ancient secret of alchemy go awry he unleashes something far more sinister and dangerous. Cast: Ty Hickson, Amari Cheatom (World Premiere)

American FableDirector/Screenwriter: Anne HamiltonWhen an 11-year-old girl named Gitty discovers that her father is holding hostage a wealthy man on their family’s remote farm, she chooses to dive into a dark and magical world in this Midwestern-set, fairytale thriller. Cast: Kip Pardue, Peyton Kennedy, Gavin MacIntosh, Rusty Schwimmer, Zuleikha Robinson, Marci Miller, Richard Schiff (World Premiere)

I Am Belfast (UK)Director/Screenwriter: Mark CousinsA visual, poetic depiction of Belfast and its citizens, told with love and passion by someone who has left the city many years ago but is still fascinated by it. (North American Premiere)

In Pursuit of SilenceDirector: Patrick ShenIn Pursuit of Silence is a meditative film that explores our relationship with silence, sound, and the impact of noise on our lives. (North American Premiere)

LOEV (India)Director/Screenwriter: Sudhanshu SariaA weekend trip between friends takes a sudden turn, making them each examine what love is and what it means to them. Cast: Shiv Pandit, Dhruv Ganesh, Siddharth Menon (North American Premiere)

My Beautiful Broken Brain (UK)Directors: Sophie Robinson, Lotje SodderlandHer brain is broken. Her mind is limitless. A film about a young woman’s cerebral hemorrhage with outcomes no one could have predicted. (North American Premiere)

Under the Sun (Czech Republic/Germany/Korea/Democratic People’s Republic of Latvia, Russian Federation)Director: Vitaly Mansky“My father says that Korea is the most beautiful country,” says schoolgirl Zin-mi. Despite continuous interference by government handlers, Under The Sun reveals a never-before-seen glimpse of one family’s life in North Korea. (North American Premiere)

Featuring innovative new work aimed squarely at the small screen, Episodic tunes in to the explosion of exciting material on non-theatrical platforms, including serialized TV, webisodes and beyond. (New for 2016: Open to all badgeholders)

OutcastDirector: Adam Wingard, Screenwriter: Robert Kirkman, Showrunner: Chris BlackOutcast, based on the Skybound/Image comic title by creator Robert Kirkman and artist Paul Azaceta, follows Kyle Barnes, a young man who has been plagued by demonic possession all his life. Cast: Patrick Fugit, Philip Glenister, Wrenn Schmidt, Reg E. Cathey, David Denman (World Premiere)

Search PartyDirectors/Screenwriters: Sarah-Violet Bliss, Charles RogersSearch Party is a dark comedy about four self-absorbed twenty-somethings who become entangled in an ominous mystery when a former college acquaintance suddenly disappears. Cast: Alia Shawkat, John Early, John Reynolds, Meredith Hagner (World Premiere)

Vice PrincipalsDirectors: Jody Hill, David Gordon Green, Screenwriters: Danny McBride, Jody HillA dark comedy series that tells the story of a high school and the two people who almost run it, the vice principals, who are engaged in an epic power struggle for the top spot. Cast: Danny McBride, Walton Goggins, Kimberly Herbert Gregory, Georgia King, Busy Philipps, Shea Whigham, Sheaun McKinney (World Premiere)

You Me HerScreenwriter/Showrunner: John Scott ShepherdAn impulsive “date” between suburbanite Jack and escort Izzy spins into a three-way affair including Jack’s wife Emma, posing the question: What if your truest, happiest life looked nothing like you imagined? Would you be brave enough to live it? Cast: Greg Poehler, Rachel Blanchard, Priscilla Faia, Jarod Joseph, Melanie Papaila (World Premiere)

Showcasing the sounds, culture and influence of music & musicians, with an emphasis on documentary. (Open to Music badgeholders)

The American Epic SessionsDirector: Bernard MacMahon, Screenwriters: Bernard MacMahon, Allison McGourty, Duke EriksonOn the 90th anniversary of the first electrical sound recordings, twenty of today’s greatest artists test their skills against the lost recording machine that first gave America her voice.

And Punching the ClownDirector: Gregori Viens, Screenwriters: Henry Phillips, Gregori ViensComedian Henry Phillips is lured to LA by a renowned TV producer who wants to bring his story of failure to the screen. But when a major network gets involved, Henry must decide whether he wants to make jokes for a living, or be the butt of them. Cast: Henry Phillips, Sarah Silverman, Tig Notaro, J.K. Simmons, Jim Jefferies, Ellen Ratner, Mike Judge, Mark Cohan, Clifton Collins (World Premiere)

The Art of Organized NoizeDirector: Quincy ‘QD3’ Jones, III Screenwriter: Joshua A. KrauseOrganized Noize shaped the landscape of Hip Hop music with a distinct sound created in the confines of a dungeon. They’re responsible for the careers of Outkast, CeeLo, Goodie Mob and the Dungeon Family. This is the story of the Art of Organized. (World Premiere)

BANG! The Bert Berns StoryDirectors: Brett Berns, Bob SarlesMusic meets the Mob in this biographical documentary about the meteoric career and tragic life of Bert Berns, the most important ’60s songwriter that you never heard of. His hits include Twist & Shout, Hang On Sloopy, and Piece Of My Heart. (World Premiere)

Gary Numan: Android In La La Land (UK)Directors: Steve Read, Rob AlexanderThe Godfather of electronic music is on a one-way trip to crack America, returning to the studio for the first time in nearly a decade. Android is a celebration of a music-making pioneer and the love story that helped him turn his life around. (World Premiere)

I Go Back Home – Jimmy Scott (Germany/USA)Director: Yoon-ha ChangIn I go back home – Jimmy Scott we meet 54 year old Ralf Kemper, a successful German music producer. He takes on the journey to produce a record with the almost forgotten jazz icon Jimmy Scott. (World Premiere)

Miss Sharon Jones!Director: Barbara KoppleDreams never expire, but sometimes they are deferred. Miss Sharon Jones! tracks the talented and gregarious soul singer of the Grammy-nominated R&B band Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings during the most challenging year of her life.

A Song For You: The Austin City Limits StoryDirector: Keith MaitlandFrom Willie Nelson to Wilco, Ray Charles to Radiohead, A Song For You: The Austin City Limits Story offers the ultimate backstage pass to 40 years of incredible music from the longest running music show in television history. (World Premiere)

Soundbreaking – Stories from the Cutting Edge of Recorded MusicDirectors: Jeff Dupre, Maro ChermayeffAn eight-part series that explores the nexus of cutting-edge technology and human artistry that has created the soundtrack of our lives. (World Premiere)

The Smart Studios StoryDirector: Wendy SchneiderFrom the outside Smart Studios looked like just another Midwestern warehouse left behind by the economic decline of the 1980s. No one could have guessed what was going on inside – and how it would soon change the sound of music forever. (World Premiere)

We Are X (UK/USA)Director: Stephen KijakX Japan led a hard rock cultural revolution in Japan during the late 80’s. Twenty years after their tragedy-fueled collapse, We Are Xtells the story of the most influential band in the world that you’ve never heard of…yet.

BODKIN RAS (Belgium/Netherlands/UK)Director/Screenwriter: Kaweh ModiriThe people in Forres don’t work. Between 9 and 5 they dissolve into the pubs, where the light shines as a warm glow in their midst. Then the stranger Bodkin arrives into town. He has come to this remote corner of Europe to hide and lay low. Cast: Sohrab Bayat, Lily Szramko, Eddie Paton, James Macmillan (North American Premiere)

Dead Slow Ahead (Spain)Director: Mauro Herce, Screenwriters: Mauro Herce, Manuel MuñozA freighter crosses the ocean. The hypnotic rhythm of its gears reveals the continuous movement of machinery devouring its workers: the last gestures of the old sailors’ trade disappearing under the mechanic pace of 21st century. (U.S. Premiere)

Ghostland (Germany)Director: Simon StadlerFor the first time the Ju/Hoansi Bushmen travel through the Kalahari and then right into the heart of Europe. What starts as a look at their fascinating culture becomes an even more fascinating look on our Western lifestyle. (North American Premiere)

KILL ME PLEASE (Brazil)Director: Anita Rocha Da SilveiraAfter an encounter with death, she will do anything to make sure she’s alive. (U.S. Premiere)

Papagajka (Australia/UK)Director/Screenwriter: Emma RozanskiA stranger arrives in Sarajevo and barges into Damir’s reclusive world. Little by little she takes over his life. She absorbs his dreams, until finally she threaten his very existence. Cast: Adnan Omerovic, Susanna Cappellaro, Tina Kerserovic, Sabina Mrgan, Don Guido (World Premiere)